Sun's Solar Storm Coming 2012 by Kellie Hastings

Sun's Calm Before the Storm
The universal wonder of deep space the magnificence of the sun should be respected as it will eventually transform and disperse its unique balance of life giving properties. And contrary to history archives of what the wrath of nature can do to our planet there is a new apprehension growing amongst today's scientists and it doesn't include the unpredictable behaviour of our planet earth.
A team of researchers from The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) officially concluded its findings March 10 2006. According to them, sunspots on the sun have literally vanished, solar flares are currently non-existent and the sun is completely quiet. And as most often say, this is like the quiet before the storm. The Solar Minimum has begun. The most powerful solar maximum in fifty years will originate from this solar storm. The next sunspot will be up to 50% stronger than its previous predecessor. And if this approximation is correct, within the next several years the rupture of solar activity will begin. The Solar Max storm of 1958 was called a solar maximum.
However, back then cell phones were non-existent along with all the modern technology of today. But the three sightings of northern lights in Mexico were what spurred an interest and people soon realized something was happening.
One can only wonder the effects of such a storm and what it can bring today. We all gaze at the sun's docile appearance as it descends downward in its nightly ritual only to re-surface on the earths opposite side. And we all take pleasure in the light of the sun's return. I suppose docile is not the correct word to describe the power of this massive star or its destructive behaviour it can impose upon our planet. Today a similar maximum would dramatically affect weather satellites, cell phones, computers and other technologies. Kpati of (NCAR) realized the mystery after two-centuries since the 11 year sunspot cycle was discovered, while scientists struggled to predict the size of future maxima and failed. In 1805 the Solar Maxima was barley measurable yet; in 1958 it was quite intense Therefore, the answer to an aging mystery is a conveyor belt on the sun which is similar to the Great Ocean Conveyor Belt here on Earth.
However, unlike the earth's conveyor belt which is currents carrying water, the sun's conveyor belt is a current of electrically-conducting gas. And moving in spherical form it travels from the sun's equator to the poles then back again. While the Ocean Conveyor Belt here controls Earths weather, this solar conveyor belt on the sun does the same thing exclusive to the sunspot cycle.
WHAT ARE SUNSPOTS?
The lifespan of the average sunspot is typically a few weeks and upon its so called death it decays leaving in its wake weakened magnetic fields. Consisting of abnormal knots with magnetic pull sunspots are produced by energy from the suns inner core. The function of this conveyor is to skim over the sun's surface in its gathering of the magnetic fields of the dead, dead sunspots. In the course of their demise they are then drawn to the poles. Here, energy from the inner core of the sun can then strengthen them giving them buoyancy to float back to the surface as new sunspots. (Solar physicist David Hathaway NSSTC)
A very interesting and uneventful process however, this is the basis used to form predictions and 30 to 50 years can pass while the belt will only complete one loop. A 30 year cycle however means abundant supplies of magnetic fields were gathered resulting in a more intense sunspot cycle creating larger sunspots. This happened from 1986 thru 1996. Thus, by the years 2010 thru 2011 that sunspot cycle will be intense. But according to the conveyor belt model some believe the next solar maximum will be dozy while others believe it will arrive around 2010, two years early. And although history has proven large sunspot cycles raise faster the first sunspots of our future cycle should appear in the later halves of 2006 or 2007.
The difference this time though is not how large they are or how intense the storm will be. This storm will create new concerns, new worries and new fears in relation to all our modern technology. The billions of signals saturating our airwaves all come from technological origins. And the impact this can have on weather, transportation, communication, computer systems and more is where the real storm will lie. Kellie Hastings 2007 www.freewebs.com/skilled-writer

About the Author
Freelance researcher and writer of articles pertaining to health, anit aging, aging, pollution, public awareness, human philosophy. Read Deadly Facts About Drive-thru Mania, FDA Deception for Control and Money and Aliens and humans-Linked at http://www.freewebs.com/skilled-writer Kellie Hastings

Is Solar Energy a Reliable and Practical Source of Electrical Power? by Martin Barwise

You have probably heard it said by environmental groups that we should switch to solar energy as a power source because it is free, there is an unlimited supply, and it is a cleaner source of electrical power because there are no by-products (compared to fossil fuels like oil and gas which release greenhouse gases into the earth's atmosphere when burned for power.) However, can solar energy be a reliable and practical source of electrical power indeed?
When we use the term solar power nowadays, it usually refers to man-made technologies that rely on the flow of sunlight from our sun to create electricity or even mechanical power. Early pioneers in the conversion of solar power into usable forms of power were Auguste Mouchout, Frank Shuman, Charles Tellier, and John Ericksson. But the real breakthrough in conversion of solar power into pure electricity was achieved by the Bell Laboratories research team when they created the solar cell. Other people have been able to build on this development so that solar cells now have an efficiency of more than 40% and their prices have fallen to not more than $3 per watt.
Solar power technology is categorized as either being active solar, passive solar, direct solar, or indirect solar. One way solar power is directly used nowadays is to heat water for households. Solar power has an efficiency level of up to 86% when it is applied for creating hot water, which makes it a very attractive option for countries with cold climates where people find it hard to survive without hot water. Another way solar power directly affects our lives is when solar cells are integrated into everyday electronic gadgets such as calculators, or as a steady source of power for satellites in orbit around the earth. Households can now have solar panels installed on their roofs so that they can take advantage of sunlight to power their home. However, the demand for solar panels may be affected because of the shortage of refined silicon supplies.
The more cost-effective solution for large-scale use of solar power for power generation needs is construction of solar power plants. Solar power plants may either be of the older type of concentrating solar thermal power plant or the newer multi-megawatt photovoltaic facilities. The first kind, which relies on concentrating solar thermal technology, basically relies on mirrors or lenses to direct sunlight into a much smaller area of focus. However, this type of solar power technology can be disadvantageous to rely on when skies are overcast and there is little direct sunlight.
It is also interesting that solar power can also be used nowadays to power light vehicles. Proof of this is the biannual World Solar Challenge in Australia, where solar cars developed by researchers from both industry and universities have been able to reach speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour during the race itself. Which is not bad, considering the speed limit for South Australia where the race is conducted is set at 110 kilometers per hour.
A very practical usage of solar power is to disinfect water supplies so that they become drinkable. Water can be disinfected either through solar water pasteurization or through solar water disinfection. Solar water pasteurization relies on solar power to make the pasteurization process work, involving sustaining application of heat to water for a certain period of time so that water temperatures stay within the 60 degrees to 70 degrees Celsius range. Solar water disinfection is a less intense use of solar power because the water is aerated first by vigorous shaking in a container which is then left to be exposed to direct sunlight.
All these uses of solar power indicate that eventually solar power may become a widespread source of power not just for large enterprises but also for the average human household. All that is required is for people to be able to afford the technology and its upkeep for solar power to become a practical and dependable source of power on a daily basis.

About the Author
Green Store UK sells eco friendly gifts and energy saving gadgets. We have various energy saving gadgets such as the Smart Adapter which is a remote control plug set which enables you to quickly and easily turn off electric items off standby.